This page will be for all the advice we can get on how to pick which young animals to keep.
Everyone has their own special way of "culling" their herd. I use the term culling, only as a way of defining the method of choosing the animals you want to keep for show and future breeding stock.
I have picked the brains of several of the top breeders of the commercial type breeds.
The following are some of their tips I have found to help me.
Most of these breeders pick their animals as very young bunnies, some even right in the nestbox. As far as picking babies... I always pick them at 4-6 weeks. What they look like then is what they will usually mature to be. First, tip them over and look at the hind legs. Are they straight and parallel? If they are the same distance apart at the heels as they are at the toes, they will not be undercut. Are they a wide short foot, or a long narrow foot... Keep the short wide foot! They will have better bone and better size. This length of foot will also give you some idea of the type on that rabbit, a short wide foot will usually indicate a short coupled animal, whereas a longer foot will tell you that the rabbit will be long through the barrel.
Next, pose the rabbit. Slide your hand under the front legs, and check the breast area. Is it nice and flat? It should be nice and wide, and should feel flat or just slightly rounded. It should not be pigeon breasted. If they come to a "V" shape, then that is a DQ in any breed. Now pose them again... put your hand around the rib cage, like you are gripping their ribs... is it nice and round like a soup can, or does it kind of square off part way down and become slab sided... Keep the round ones! The slab sided animal will never fill out in the midsection. Look at them posed...Do they start right at the base of the ears, with a nice even topline? Are they nice and deep over the hindquarters, carrying good width all the way down to the base of the table? Do they blend smoothly from the shoulders to the midsection to the hindquarters, or are do your hands catch at the hips as you go over them. Do they peak too early, or too late? This is what they will be when they are grown so look for type first, and worry about fur last. As far as fur goes, look for the densest coats. Dont worry too much about texture. That developes differently on each and every rabbit.
Written and copywrited by Susan Origer 2000
If you need additional information you can contact me, at the following address:
havafox@uslink.net
